06:00
MILITARY TRAINING-JCET
According to the Ministry of Armed Forces, it is the soldiers within the First Parachute Battalion Ivato who benefit from the joint exercises (JCET) with elements of the US Army Rangers. The one-month-long training and formation take place in Ivato and Langaina. They aim to enhance operational and tactical capabilities during military missions in the field, it is explained.
08:00
SINO-AFRICAN COOPERATION
Madagascar will participate in the Forum on Sino-African Cooperation scheduled for September. This forum will provide a platform to deepen discussions and identify new collaboration opportunities with the Republic of China, explains the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
09:00
PRESIDENTIAL TRIPS
The Malagasy President will begin an African tour from today, which will take him to Guinea-Bissau and Angola. Bilateral agreements are expected to be signed during these two state visits. These presidential trips to Guinea-Bissau and Angola aim to strengthen the ties between Madagascar and these two West African states and to develop South-South cooperation. It is noteworthy that Guinea-Bissau ordered significant shipments of Covid Organics (CVO) from Madagascar during the COVID pandemic. The presidential visit to Guinea-Bissau will last two days. On this occasion, he will receive the key to the city of Bissau, symbolizing the fraternity and trust relationship between the two countries. The President of Angola, on the other hand, was present at President Rajoelina’s inauguration ceremony last December. Angola is currently holding the presidency of the SADC.
11:00
TECHNICAL BACCALAUREATE
The second series of technical, professional, and technological baccalaureate exams started on Monday, July 29th and will continue until August 1st across the whole island. The technical, professional, and technological baccalaureate has a total of 11,262 candidates.
12:00
ONTM
Danny Barivelo, the new Executive Director of the National Tourism Office of Madagascar (ONTM), officially began his functions on Monday, July 29th, 2024. Danny Barivelo is a well-known figure in the tourism sector in Madagascar, having held high-level responsibilities both in the public and private sectors. He has held several key positions within the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts (MTA) before his appointment as head of the ONTM. Danny Barivelo succeeds Jimmy Joharison, who held this position from July 2022 to July 2024. The handover ceremony between the two individuals took place today at the ONTM headquarters in Antsahavola, in the presence of the President of the ONTM Board of Directors, Ionjaniaina Ranaivoarimanana.
13:00
BOOST WORKSHOP
In order to provide the necessary tools and information to improve the professional practices of essential oils and extracts operators and increase their competitiveness in international markets, the Group of Essential Oils and Extracts Exporters of Madagascar (GEHEM), in collaboration with GIZ and USAID Africa Trade and Investment Activity, organized a strategic workshop entitled “BOOST Workshop”, which took place on July 25th and 26th in Antananarivo. During this event, which brought together nearly forty participants, GIZ Madagascar presented its various modes of cooperation as well as financing opportunities aimed at supporting private sector enterprises for sustainable impact through their actions. USAID-ATI and the PIC Project also presented their offers of financial and technical support. The President of the National Council for Industrialization of Madagascar (CNIM), Christian Rasoamanana, presented the Pact for Industrial Programming and the Industrial Development Fund, emphasizing the importance of investments to modernize the sector in order to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth.
14:00
EDUCATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
A workshop aimed at primary school teachers was recently organized to explore approaches to integrating education on climate change into school curricula. According to UNICEF Madagascar, education on climate change from a young age is crucial to shape a conscious and responsible generation. This event was organized by Climada, the Korea Foundation, and Madagascar Green Natura, with the support of UNICEF.
15:00
CONSERVATION OF MANGROVES
According to the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD), Madagascar is home to 390,000 hectares of mangrove forests, which have significant environmental and economic importance. Out of this area, 25% is classified as protected areas, of which 32% are managed by Vondron’olona ifotony (VOI). In addition to providing habitat for fish and crabs, mangroves sequester five times more carbon than other forests. They also play a crucial role in protecting coastlines from marine erosion. On the occasion of the celebration of the International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems on July 26th, a carnival, exhibition booths, and awareness workshops were organized in the city of Morondava in partnership with the youth association as well as various public sectors and technical partners. The objective was to promote behavior change to preserve the mangrove ecosystem.
16:00
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Four technicians from the National Center for Applied Research in Rural Development and the Veterinary Service Directorate recently participated in a training workshop on ticks, associated risks, control methods, and detection of pathogens by molecular biology. This workshop, organized at the Medical Entomology Unit of the Institut Pasteur in Madagascar, was carried out in collaboration with the Indian Ocean Commission and is part of the “SEGA One Health Network” program.
17:00
RISKS AND DISASTERS
Information from Earth observation can help mitigate the risks of disasters. During a regional workshop of the GMES&Africa program in Antananarivo, Bafakih Shafik, Coordinator of the Strengthening Resilience and Disaster Response Management (RDRM-IO) project, emphasized the importance of this data, particularly in assessing multiple risks and developing more effective early warning systems. It should be noted that the RDRM-IO project (2020 – 2025) aims, among other things, to create a regional network of multiple early warning systems, improve understanding of risks, and strengthen the response capacity of national agencies responsible for disaster risk management in the Indian Ocean region.
20:10
PRM-GUINEA BISSAU
President Andry Rajoelina arrived this afternoon in Guinea-Bissau. He was welcomed at Osvaldo Vieira International Airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities, Carlos Pinto Pereira, as well as by the Minister of Territorial Administration, Marciano Silva Barbeiro. This visit follows the official invitation of the President of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who attended President Andry Rajoelina’s inauguration ceremony last December. This is the first state visit of a Malagasy President to Guinea-Bissau. As part of strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries, a cooperation agreement will be signed between the two countries during the stay. According to the Presidency of the Republic, this trip demonstrates President Andry Rajoelina’s commitment to consolidating cooperation and South-South development initiatives through pan-Africanism.
